Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

First damn snow of the season, that means its whiskey fixin season! Brewed up a batch today, here's how it went down, with all the details, hope it helps somebody. Cheers friends. -Jimbo

- 11;30AM - Fired up the pots of water. About 29-30 gallons in 2 half barrel keggles. RO water + 2 tsp Gypsum + 2 tsp Epson salts + 1 tsp calcium carbonate.
- 12;45PM - Water on 50 lbs cornmeal, near boiling. Add 60 ml SebMalt HT enzyme. stirring with drill mounted bucket stirrer (see pic). 185F (barrel wrapped in quilt)
- 3;00PM - Stirring every 20 min or so. Gravity at 15.8 brix, 1.0655. 154F. Mixed in 60 ml Sebsuper enzyme.
- 3:30PM - 149F, 16.2 Brix, 1.067 Added 17 Lbs Wheat malt (25% of grain bill), put through the roller mill twice. Mash temp 146 after malt add. (target is 145-148)
- 4:30PM - 141F, 18.8 brix, 1.0785, Cooled to pitch temp with bigass wort chiller. Pitched 1/2 qt US-05 taken off a recent batch of beer.

This is my standard protocol now. I shoot for 10%. If this batch hits 1.005 I'll be at 9.6%, if it hits 1.000 Ill be at 10.2% ABV. My mash temp was good so expecting 1.000 or close. Ill post up again in a week after ferment is done and Im runnin the flute.

Cheers.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

Step 2, squeezing it out. 12 days fermenting, longer than I like, but was damn busy, or damn tired, or both. usually go a week.

67 lbs of grain turned into 32 lbs of squeezed out grain. Use my hands for most of it, and the mop ringer (new, and sterilized good with starsan) for the last bits. Took about 1 hour.

Got 26 gallons out at 1.003, 9.76% ABV. (29 gal in) Was a very sweet mash, nothing sour at all about this lot. It will settle till Sunday when I will have time to run it.

3 gallons left on the grain means 24 of that 32 lbs is liquid. So 67 lbs of dry grain turned into 8 dry lbs of spent grain. Id say the enzymes and yeasties did good.

It feels damn good to be makin whiskey again. No gumball with this, I have 2 more runs to do like this to fill a 10g new oak barrel. That'l be enough work.

Cheers,
Jimbo
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by TDick »

Jimbo wrote:\
Brewed up a batch today, here's how it went down:
50 lbs cornmeal
17 Lbs Wheat malt (25% of grain bill)[/b], put through the roller mill twice.
Pitched 1/2 qt US-05 taken off a recent batch of beer.

This is my standard protocol now. I shoot for 10%. If this batch hits 1.005 I'll be at 9.6%, if it hits 1.000 Ill be at 10.2% ABV.
Curious, what made you decide to leave off the barley malt?
Is this the first time you've done it?
:)
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

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Bourbon needs to be mostly corn. At least 51%. This is a wheated bourbon, so the part thats not corn should be primarily wheat. If its all wheat malt, all the better. Barley malt is optional (but will affect the flavor profile).
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

OK did the run today. I forgot how much I love this flute!

24 gal 9.75% wash poured off the top of those 4 buckets below. 1.75gal thick yeast settled, combined across the buckets.

9 qts keep at 80% average. Thats 11.6 quarts watered down to 62% for the barrel. Running feints through the next runs should put me right at 10 gallons to fill the barrel with 3 runs like this.

The sweet spot where this 3 plate flute really wants to run is 82% through the hearts at 176-178 head temperature, all day long. Took some work to keep it as close to 80% as possible adjusting heat and defleg water.

Also got 5 quarts of feints at 50+% (heads+tails) and 1 pint fores for the fire pit. I tune the defleg way back for the tails run, the plates stay flooded, but the head temp shoots up to 190's and the distillate drops to 50's %
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Oldvine Zin »

Jimbo wrote:OK did the run today. I forgot how much I love this flute!
Is that the one that Corene built?
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

Yes, fabricator extraordinaire.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by nuncaquite »

I got to give it to you guys that go AG to this extent, you are artist, I respect that.

I usually do a 5 gallon Booner's, mop bucket, split it between two--5 gallon buckets and add a bag of sugar to the each.
Add a bag of sugar to the sparge, and mop bucket again when it ferments.

The sparge does do a disappearing act once fermented. Kinda shocking how little ends up in the bottom of the bucket once the
yeast works on it.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by school »

Jimbo, would you have used those enzymes if you were using barley for this recipe?
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

school wrote:Jimbo, would you have used those enzymes if you were using barley for this recipe?
School, Malted Wheat has a higher diastatic power (enzyme juju) than malted Barley. This recipe would work fine without any enzymes, Ive made it that way plenty. I use the enzymes for convenience. The low temp ones are really optional but the high temp ones sure make life a truckload easier by working on the corn right away while its cooking on the boiling water. Without them its gets pretty thick while youre waiting for it to get to temp for the malt :tired:

Was down squeezin barley wash out of the grain tonight. Crazy ass dog likes barley wine, licking up everythign I splashed on the floor. Damn alcy dachshund.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

Well shit, 3 batches didnt fill the barrel. (see first batch details just below from a couple weeks ago) Total grain bill 150 lbs corn meal and 50 lbs wheat malt. Put 8.9 gallons in the barrel at 62%. Gotta go get another damn bag of corn meal and more wheat malt. Thats ok will give me some extra aging on glass for top up after the angels tie one on. Barrel is a 10g new Barrel Mill barrel Char 3.

Did 3 still runs today, 2 bourbon wash runs and an all feints run using the feints from all 3 bourbon runs (first run details below). 24 gallon ea on the 3 runs. Then drained out half the backset on the last run and added 3 1/2 gallons of feints and ran again.

This barrel will be ready to tap XMAS of 2020.

Cheers
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by StuNY »

Well, I went ahead and made the gumballhead at last after feeling bad throwing all those grains into the compost. I stripped everything last weekend in my pot still, then debated how to finish it off. Reading through all the posts again it seemed it wouldn't quite be as good as the original bourbon for sipping neat and that is how I drink my whisky. Then realized that I was out of vodka from my sugar wash runs so maybe run it to be more of a vodka in my reflux still instead of the pot still. Need something to drink while I am waiting out all the Whisky and Bourbon batches on oak! I was able to keep it close to 95 abv throughout the run, so was feeling a little worried that I had stripped out all the flavor.

Well, have to say it is the best damn vodka I ever tasted! The hint of corn gave it a smooth sweetness that made me go back and check the ABV three times- thought I had watered it down too much in bottling. Nope- still at 43% abv- hard to believe! The Rye (used instead of wheat for the bourbon) gave just a hint of flavor- not exactly spicy just a bit of a complex taste together with the malted barley. Huge hit with the wife too- she was tiring of the "we have to wait at least 6 months to drink all this" line with my other batches!

When I was squeezing out the grains in the mesh bag after fermenting I remember thinking- "well, this is the last time I am doing this one" haha... felt like too much work vs. my usual straight sugar washes. It is going to be my only vodka now going forward. Works out great that I have constant batches of various bourbon/whiskys going so always a second chance to use those grains, not to mention double use of a packet of US-05 yeast.

Thanks Jimbo!
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Eddie Haskel »

I tried your ½ barrel bourbon/gumballhead the other day and thought it came out well. A couple of questions for next time. My mash only came out at about 6% . It started at 1.053 SG and I used 3 packs of US-05 along with yeast nutrient and about a 30 second shot of oxygen. It only got down to one % alcohol after letting it ferment for 10 days. I’m thinking that some SEBstar HTL and SEBamyl GL might help out. Do you use or recommend them? After squeezing out the grains things got very cloudy and even my low wines were a bit cloudy after the stripping runs. The spirit run came out well. I just finished squeezing the grains for the gumballhead. This time I remembered that I have a wine press!! (A down fall of getting old is forgetting shit) I must have got two to two and a half gallons using that press. So much easier than using your hands. Tried the nuking method and it tastes great. Can’t wait for a little age to get to it. Going to find a rum to do then another run of yours. I’m pretty new to this and just did my first batch of UJSSM back in May. I’m lucky enough to have meet the distilling goddess a while back and she has helped me out tons, including making my column and still.

Have a great day!

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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

Hey guys, sounds good, congrats on your runs. I've been getting low on bourbon stocks until this new barrel is ready next year, so I started diluting my bourbon maybe 60/40 with the gumball (2013 batch) and its really nice. Nothing at all seems unbourbonlike about it. The other livers that help me filter my bourbon havent noticed anything astray and I havent volunteered my deceitful shenanigans. The gumballhead was on oak, and has some nice flavor now with age. Even by itself its a nice sipper. The 10 gal barrel is 8 months old now and really coming into its own. I started looting a fifth here and there. Its really nice. Them Barrel Mill barrels out of MN are really nice, really nice caramel and vanilla characters.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by NeckStiller »

Jimbo!! How are yah!

Where do you get the enzymes? I been looking and can't find a local source...thanks
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by frunobulax »

NeckStiller wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:32 pm Jimbo!! How are yah!

Where do you get the enzymes? I been looking and can't find a local source...thanks
I think THESE Are what you are looking for. No, they are not usually available locally.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

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Huge help! Thank you guys!
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Nutz »

Made this the other day! Thanks Jimbo. My second time making it. More delicious at 100 proof vs the 80 proof I did the first time! Highly recommend
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by kmmuellr »

I'll be doing my first cleaning run and sacrificial run at some point very soon, so I'm reading the T&T recipes and this will be the first non-sugar wash for sure after I figure out the operation of the still I've built!

I've been a brewer since 1996, so its been wonderful reading this whole thread and getting Jimbo's and other's input on the fermentation and using AG for distilling. Quick question on fermentation; since its not a sanitary fermentation, do you keep the fermenters in the same location as your beer fermentation, or do you keep it separate (like I do my sour beers)?

Thanks!
K

Edited to add: Does anyone use BIAB for this or any other AG mash/wash? I'm thinking of putting my bag in an electric keggle, mash in with the corn and cover. Add malt, etc.... Once fermentation is complete, pull the bag (pulley above keggle), squeeze, settle, and transfer to the still for a run, or into glass for further clarification if needed.

Put grain bag back into keggle, mix backset and sugar in separate bucket, add to keggle, rinse and repeat.

Any reason this would not work? I've never mashed w/ this much corn, so unknown how it would react in the bag. A malt mash would be no problem with this method.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Stilman »

Help? I have made AG with barley but this is my first corn.
I let my 12 gallons water and 22lb corn sit all night, it held its temp perfectly, but I have 15 gallons of very thick porridge and have yet to add barley. The recipe does not call for more water. What to do? Typically, how thick is your mash when you pitch yeast?? Anybody...could use input quick.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Deplorable »

Stilman wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 5:14 am Help? I have made AG with barley but this is my first corn.
I let my 12 gallons water and 22lb corn sit all night, it held its temp perfectly, but I have 15 gallons of very thick porridge and have yet to add barley. The recipe does not call for more water. What to do? Typically, how thick is your mash when you pitch yeast?? Anybody...could use input quick.
When the temp of your corn porridge drops to 148 add your milled barley. It will thin on its own and become easier to stir. You can watch the enzymes shredded the starches and liquefy the thick mass.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Stilman »

Yup, on its way. When I pitch yeast on this though, it must be quite a bit thicker than a barley mash? I am used to a lot more liquid. Guess I am glad I am fermenting on the grain as squeezing out the liquid from this would be a hell of a job.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Deplorable »

It will thin a good bit. My first bourbon mash is still fermenting, so I dont have an idea what it will look like finished compared to an all barley ferment.
I used HTL enzymes in the corn so my corn was already thinned when I hit 148 and added malts. When I aerated after mashing and crashing the temp, it was still a thick mash compared to an all barley mash.
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by rubberduck71 »

Jimbo wrote: Thu May 19, 2016 10:00 am Johnni, 'less heads' is a result of many things (unlike less head which is just a result of being married a pile of years).
This is too funny, simply because it's too true...

I have a couple 6 gal fermenters going using gumballhead protocol: a GW rye & also an Irish style whiskey of Golden Promise (2/3) and flaked barley (1/3). But I can't wait to try the original wheated bourbon recipe!

Will report back on results!

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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by River Rat »

This is one of my favorite recipes. Big thanks to Jimbo if you're still out there, haven't seen a new post from you in a while.
Stilman, I'm guessing at this point you have finished this batch of yours. I would recommend you try fermenting off the grain next time. When I have done it on the grain my paint strainer bags get stopped up instantly. Then you basically have a giant water balloon to deal with. It's much easier to strain before the ferment. I guess it depends on your straining method though. Or maybe you're distilling on the grain too, hell I don't know. Just my 2 cents. Hope you enjoy it. It's good stuff!
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

Thanks River Rat, happy the recipe is working out for you. There's definitely a difference in strainer bags. Ive had some that clog up quick, and others that seem to have a few extra microns in the mesh that makes the difference between cursin a lot and cursin a little less.

I still ferment on the grain. The only unfun part is the squeezin. But it only takes 1 hour to squeeze 70 lbs of grain out of 28g of water. Which is bearable. This has been my scale of the below recipe for the past few years. Fermented low and slow with US05. Gives me a real clean 10% ABV and 3+ gallon at 62% for the bbl. (50 lbs corn meal, 20 lbs wheat malt, 28g RO water, 3 tsp Gypsum, 1 tsp epsom salt). Running a 4th run tomorrow and mashing a 5th, been doing these back to back every week to fill bbls. Its abut an 8 hour day to first boil 28g water for teh corn, then move the power over to the still and start last weeks run. Squeezing today, running and mashing tomorrow.

Cheers
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Jimbo »

OK on the strainer bag thing that came up below. I did some research and did some shopping. There are 200 micron and 250 micron paint strainer bags. And there are 400 micron honey filter bags. All come in 5g size. I bought them all and today Im squeezing comparing them. As expected the 400 is easier to deal with. Still takes a little work, but quite a bit easier. I give it a couple squeezes and tosses/rolls in my hand then plop it in the mop bucket. A squeeze then a fold and second squeeze in the bucket and shes pretty dry.

The 200 micron is no fun, about twice as hard and messing with as the 400. Go figure...
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by River Rat »

Good to know Jimbo. I've never looked for honey filter bags, but I will now. There's no really easy way to strain but every little tip helps!
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Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

Post by Morehu »

Jimbo wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 1:54 pm - 11;30AM - Fired up the pots of water. About 29-30 gallons in 2 half barrel keggles. RO water + 2 tsp Gypsum + 2 tsp Epson salts + 1 tsp calcium carbonate.
Kia ora from NZ Jimbo. I’m liking the look of this recipe and love me a wheated bourbon. Thinking I’ll give this a shot for my first batch once I get my still up and running.

Seeing you talk about water chemistry and what not really piqued my interest coz I’m coming from an all grain brewing background.

Can’t wait to give it a try
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